


The Longest Night

by Anteros



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2018-01-19 00:51:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1449220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anteros/pseuds/Anteros





	The Longest Night

* * *

  
Indefatigable _at anchor, Cawsand Bay, December 1798_

Archie disentangled himself from Hornblower’s embrace while keeping one foot jammed firmly against the door of his cabin, lest he receive any more unexpected visitors. He had been seated at the tiny desk that furnished his cabin, writing a report for the captain, when he was interrupted by Hornblower, who without so much as a by-your-leave, dragged him unceremoniously from his despatches and kissed him soundly while launching a sustained attack on his waistcoat and breeches. By the time Archie had extricated himself from the third lieutenant’s arms he was more than a little dishevelled; his queue had come undone, his stock was all ahoo, his shirt hanging loose and several buttons had gone by the board.

Horatio was regarding him with a dangerous glint in his eye and the self-satisfied smirk he invariably wore on the rare occasions that he managed to get one over on his shipmate.

“Far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth Mr Hornblower, but to what do I owe the pleasure?” Archie enquired as he attempted to right his stock and tuck the tails of his shirt back into his breeches.

Horatio nodded his head towards the thin canvas partition that separated Archie’s cabin from the room beyond. “Wardroom’s empty, they’re all at dinner with the captain.”

“And why, pray tell, have you been excluded from this august gathering?” Archie had removed his queue ribbon and was attempting to comb his hair into some kind of order with ink stained fingers.

“I told the captain you needed some assistance with your report.”

“You told him what? Damned impudence!” Archie spluttered indignantly. He rolled his eyes theatrically and tossed his queue ribbon to Horatio before turning his back on him. “Here, do something useful and tie this.”

Horatio caught the ribbon with a grin. “And anyway, today being the shortest day, I thought I should take my chances when the opportunity arose.”

“The shortest day? You mean the solstice? That’s tomorrow.” Archie craned his head round to correct Horatio.

“Tomorrow? Your reckoning is out Mr Kennedy, today is the 21st, the shortest day of the year.”

“I’ll grant you it’s the 21st Mr Hornblower, but I think you’ll find that this year, the shortest day is tomorrow, the 22nd.” Archie nodded emphatically.

“Nonsense! Hold still Archie or I’ll never get this damn thing tied.”

Archie tilted his head back to enable Horatio to gather the errant strands straggling over his collar. “It’s true Horatio. Matthews told me.”

“Matthews? And how the devil does he know?”

“Said he had a feeling in his water.”

Hornblower snorted in disbelief. He had a tendency to give sailors’ sayings and superstitions short shrift, despite the fact that they often had more than a grain of truth in them.

“I confess I didn’t believe a word of it either so I asked Bowles and he confirmed. Apparently the solstice occasionally falls on the 22nd, something to do with the rotational axis of the spheres. Ask him yourself, I’m sure you’ll be able to have a long and fascinating discussion about spherical geometry and lunar ….”

Archie was interrupted by the sound of voices from the other side of the thin partition. He swatted away Horatio’s hands which, having wrestled his queue into submission, were now making another sortie towards his remaining waistcoat buttons.

Horatio smirked devilishly before raising his voice a trifle louder than necessary. “Be so good as to have that report delivered to the captain by the end of the watch, if you please Mr Kennedy, and if you need any further assistance I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Aye aye Lieutenant Hornblower!” Archie replied clearly and crisply while making an unforgivably insubordinate gesture to the senior lieutenant.

Horatio was still smirking as he departed from the cabin leaving Archie muttering profanities and collecting the scattered pages of his report from the deck.

* * *

Hornblower woke with a start to find cold water dripping on to his face and a strong rough hand clamped firmly over his mouth. His first thought was that the _Indefatigable_ had been boarded by a cutting out party, then he remembered that they were at anchor in Cawsand Bay. The Channel Fleet would really have had to be sleeping on their watch to let the Brest Fleet sail this far up the Channel. His fleeting fear was extinguished instantly, but his heart continued to hammer in his breast, as he recognised the hand as belonging to Acting Lieutenant Kennedy. His cabin was pitch black but he could feel Archie’s presence in the darkness as clearly as if he could see him. The hand lifted from his mouth to be replaced by cool soft lips pressing hard against his own. The tip of Archie’s nose was cold against his cheek and he tasted of salt. A drop of icy water landed on Horatio’s cheek and slid down his neck.

“Archie?” Horatio whispered into the darkness.

“Shhh, it’s all right, I’ve just come off middle watch. Filthy night up there.” Archie’s lips were moving against his ear, warmer now.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Horatio breathed the words against Archie’s cold cheek. He could feel a faint rasp of stubble.

“Well, as it is now actually the solstice I didn’t want you languishing through the longest night alone.”

Archie’s breath, warm and familiar against his ear, made Horatio shiver and ache. The breath moved back along his cheek and then Archie’s lips met his own again, hot and insistent. He felt the blanket being drawn back and urgent hands rifling through sheets and nightshirt until they found what they sought. Horatio bit back a gasp as Archie’s cold hand encircled him. Then he closed his eyes in the darkness and prayed this longest night would never end.


End file.
